Werner Enterprises, Inc. - Omaha, Ne.

Like anything else, companies like Werner suck. Sure, I talked to a VERY few satisfied drivers while I worked there myself, and these were the ConAgra or dedicated guys having been there 10-15 years. I couldn't stand them for more than 3 months at a time, for the 3
times I quit them. The only truly happy guys I met were O/O's, and even then they hit the load boards at the T/A anyway.

The first time Werner screwed me was when I ran team with a friend of mine. After 3 1/2 months running west coast regional when we were 48 state, and after they shorted us a entire weeks pay, we pulled a load from OKC going to Chicago, stopped in Joplin only to realize we did not receive our pay.

Sure enough, we got angry. Hulk angry in fact. So, now we are finally in the Mid-west, 130 miles from home, one day off our hometime, stuck in Joplin with no paycheck, and we decided that the OKC load really needed to be in OKC, as we were no longer dragging it to [Chi]-cago.
We go back to OKC, drop the trailer, and bobtail home. I dropped off ***** (my team mate) and he quit then and there. I told him to let me work Werner for our bonuses, and pay, just don't tell them YET that you quit. So, off I go back home, and after 3 days on my own
hometime (they gave us 5 days off after 3 1/2 months, nice of them) of fighting with ****** over our OWN paychecks and bonuses, we won.

You see, ******, like most dispatchers, did not understand that Werner does not own me. (No
one has since the Army)Let us say that I broke *****s of sucking eggs, and quickly too. He promptly noted over the phone that I cannot hold a load hostage, and that is when I explained that I did not, it was in OKC waiting on someone to take it, and Oh, hey ******, that load will be a little late.

While ****** did not find this amusing, I did so, very much. I did point out that not no, but HELL no would I abandon their truck, instead, I would keep it until they paid me and *****.

Oddly enough, they paid us ALMOST in full (about $200 shy) with our bonuses. That said, I was told I could NOT quit, because ****** did not authorize me for the 120 mile deadhead bobtail to the Dallas terminal. At this point I considered selling the fuel card, but did
not, let them screw me, I will do MY stuff the right way, and NOT screw them back.

That was when I made ****** understand that I was indeed NOT asking him, I was telling him that the truck was going back to DFW. He argued the point, and he lost, as I am a grown man who tends to do whatever in the hell I want to.

Not being a greenhorn, I drug the truck back to Dallas, cleaned it spotless, took the Werner Approved 35mm Accident camera and took a full roll of pictures inside and out for future reference.I turned everything in, and said Sayonara.

Until my second time there. I fell victim to the "path of least resistance", which means Werner will rehire you no matter what, and quickly too. I only made 4 days then, having gotten a better job offer.
I had ******s then too, and told him I quit of course, and he responded with "I will put it down as a voluntary quit". True genius in hand, I responded with, "No #### ******, I quit". Granted, 4 days, no truck, no loads.

Off I went. And now to time number 3. I honest to god thought it would be better, but, I might have been sleep and brain power deprived this last time. In I go, hired again, in Dallas again, seeing guys I know who quit and came back for unknown reasons just like me. I actually know the office crew in Dallas, and ****, *****, ***** and a few others (******* the recep. girl is hot) and they are ALL good people, only Omaha is what I ever had serious problems with.

So, I get issued an eggbeating W900 that actually was not thrashed out. Granted, when I went in to see *****, she said they only had 379's and that W900 open, and I asked her if that was the same as the two brand new 387's they just gave out to two brand spanking new greenhorns. She did not find that amusing. She did say I could go do a truck recovery. I
responded that no, I could not, you do not pay enough, and if I did do it, I would need to do full time recovery as my job. She did not respond to that either.

So I hop into Mr. W900 only to find no toll cards, no prepass, and other passes SO old they
won't even work (the K-tag was older than me). Well gents, order up from Omaha, and no, not on weekends, so I got to hang around for a while yet.

With boredom in hand, I decided to check out my dispatcher *** (evidently, ****** does not like me anymore). Let us say *** had the misguided notion that I worked for him. After less than 5 minutes, *** no longer worked for me, as he dropped a Shag run onto me, which I qualcommed back, "I am neither a local nor regional driver, I am OTR. I refuse the load, and oh yeah, give me another dispatcher".

*** was unhappy. He said so as well. I went back to the motel (I NEVER accept a truck until I have a load, stay in the motel longer that way, nor will I drive a tractor until I say it is ready to go. That way, the truck can go wherever I want it to, with no assigned driver to
it).

I was advised to call some ####### in Omaha to get a new dispatcher. Said ####### decided to misinform me on my inability to refuse loads. I also broke said ####### from sucking eggs.

He was unhappy when I hung up on him, but I think he understood that I am a grown up, and will do anything I #### well please.

And to the point: They were paging me in LESS than 5 minutes all over the ENTIRE dallas terminal. Seems Omaha CAN listen when you piss them off, but are uninterested until you say "No". And just like an angry child, they will find you to start a fight.

I let them stew for an hour, already knowing I am going to quit again, in fact, I had that figured out 4 days earlier, because there is no way this stuff is normal to anyone.I went to talk to **** (#### good guy in a #### job) and he did his best for me, but I no more expected water to wine miracles from him than I did from Omaha.

Now, on to ****** the new dispatcher. I never called her, never needed to. Don't care either. I was now in the "being punished" Omaha mode. Not surprising either, everyone gets it sometimes. I am old school, you do for me, I do for you. I pull 2 shags, I expect a sweet
run on the back end, no BS, or I walk elsewhere. Plenty of greenhorns in this biz, they will do that trash. I don't need to, unlike many, I will stand up and say, "to hell with you bud" and walk.

So, ****** gives me a load from Proc and Gamble to Ft. Pierce, FL. Sweet freaking run, undoubtedly going to be split or swapped out. I would have refused either anyway. I am just like that.

Problem is, the load is not IN Dallas at all. It came in, and left back out for Arkansas. You see, P&G screwed the load pooch, and left me hanging, which I had to find out myself because the Load Planners were most likely out watching Gomer Pyle does Omaha.

So, I am now somewhat angry. Not Hulk angry, that comes later. Yes indeedy folks, I was being Qualcommed to death on updated Final Loc. ETA changes. Especially cool when no load exists. Every time I got one, I sent back, "Does proc. have the load yet?".

The answer was always, "Checking with planner". Good luck, he is at home sleeping it off there ******. After 4 ETA updates, I gave up and just said sure, I can do it, even though DFW to FL usually takes MORE than one day, even though the load is not even here. Who cares
right? Stupid computer!

Day 3 arrives under the non-existent load (Referred to now as the "Wonder Woman Invisible load), so I give up, and call it quits. For the last time I might add. Especially after ****** said I got layover of $25 dollars a day for 2 days. I of course sent a message back
saying that I can be unemployed at home and not just at a Werner terminal, and furthermore,
I can make more money mowing yards, see ya!

My Tally for Werner this time:
1 Wonder Woman Load
2 Dispatchers (evidently ****** does not like me anymore, *** #### sure don't)
1 Eggbeater W900 (I kept dodging safety, there is no way I would ever leave there if I went thru)
4 Updated ETA messages on Wonder Woman load
3 Trips to shipper
3 Days Underneath Wonder Woman Load
1 Pissed off Omaha Rep.
1 Pissed off Driver (qualified thank you)
$50 Dollars layover pay for 2 days.
5 out of 50 Drivers who I saw and talked to for 2 weeks straight because they never left either. One was a female trainer who went thru 3 trucks and 2 students in 2 weeks because Omaha is retarded.

For a grand total of:
13 days I drove 21 miles, made $75 dollars TOTAL.

Remember, Werner Freaking Cares.

Thanks goes out to Godzookie and Tork, they talked me out of burning down the Dallas Terminal.

 

I worked for Werner for three months. One night I was delivering a load at a Nestle plant outside of Chicago, and watched another Werner driver talking to the receiving clerk. (The driver looked and sounded like he was mentally retarded.)

Werner Driver: "It's real busy out there and the docks are really close together... I was scared I'd hit another truck so I asked the yard jockey to dock my trailer for me and he did. I'm glad 'cause I was real scared I'd hit another truck..."

He went on and on for a minute or two. I was so embarrassed to work for the same company as him.

If Werner hires guys like that--they will hire anyone.

 

Not to defend Werner here...but Ozark sounds maybe a bit difficult to work with as well...

 

lol...it doesn't sound like he got too far out of line to me...besides returning twice for more of the same.

looks like it all started when they shorted him a week's pay...which would make me see red...and only gave him hometime after 3.5 months...which would have me climbing the walls.

Bottom line...there are too many other companies who are actually worth working for to waste time with morons like Werner...

 

Hi Ozark, loved the comment Omaha is retarded, maybe you saw my post, think it's on page 27 about my year at the big blue screw, btw that's website specifically about the cr*p that werner pulls, should have taken notice when I saw the site before I graduated from my 20 week truck school, NETTTS, just a thought bearing their claims on the website, might anyone know a corporate lawyer who might be interested in getting a class action suit going to try and whack werner? I won't make the mistake of going back to them not if I can help it. oh and well done as well to godzookie and tork whilst it would have been pleasurable and extremely satisfying it would not have been the best for you
and thanks for reminding me that werner freakin cares like hell they do and now the favored son is CEO and cl has stepped down,watch as it goes down even further!

werner cares????????????????????????????? errrm NO!

 

Thanks for the ridiculous ad I have mentioned in a reply to another post that if anyone knows a corporate lawyer there could be enough of us to get a class action suit going and see if we can whack werner where it hurts with the ensuing publicity it could generate

 

Oh, I can be QUITE difficult to work with. As I promptly told the Omaha rep, the last person to own me was the US Army, and a dispatcher for sure wasn't going to even try. And I only get uppity when they start poking me with sticks and being stupid. I have done this too many times to actually care if they fire me.

Anywho, yes, I should have given up on them the 2nd time, but really and truly I knew how bad it was. There were guys there that were in the 4-timers club.

So, nobody to blame but myself, but if it lends ANY help to anyone else that wanted to know, well that would be the EXACT reason I posted.

I did forget to add that they lost my UA. Not the results, my pee never MADE it to the place, so I had to take a second one. (No deposit, No return) That was a 3 day wait by itself. No, I am not joking either.

I was told at the Dallas Terminal not 3 days ago that over 2000 drivers had walked just last month. Even if you cut that by half due to "Expanded" story telling, I would still believe it.

Being somewhat nice, I have to add that if anyone goes with Werner, you can bet Vegas odds on getting what you want, but hey, it IS possible.

I drove under the OLD HOS, so the new HOS POS is what I consider to be the cause of most of this. Granted, it is not like Werner or most of the major OTR's are out to be your friend, the rules of the road are greenbacks, plain and simple.

The other part is not even anyone's fault really, but new drivers coming in that either work ONLY for Werner, or never talk to older hands that have driven under the old HOS. These new drivers don't understand that the way these places are NOW is NOT normal by old standards.

No one is teaching them the old ways anymore from what I can see.

Lawyers won't do any good, after all, Werner makes enough to take care of tons of lawsuits. If they have no drivers, THEN they might wake up.

Just how I see it mind you.

Thanks to everyone, and maybe I won't go back for a 4th helping of Big Blue Screw.

 

they are such lovely people aint they????

 

hehehe...yeah...my dad told me that they have a special Greyhound bus stop JUST to pick up ex-werner drivers...

 

Lol Dr Demented, did you get that way slaving for werner? LOL anyhoo wonder where that greyhound stop is my reckoning is somewhere south of the border down mexico way, ya can't find it 'cos they stole the stop sign!!!!!!
Oh and I just got me a job with a little company down here in Laredo, start monday run by a woman with an all female staff, which at the risk of appearing sexist I certainly don't have a problem with, if anyone, especially ex werner drivers, is interested they're paying 34c a mile and are desperately looking for drivers, who, unlike most of their mexican drivers who like to do one load and then come home for time off for a week, naturally with pay for one load they can live like kings south of the border for a week, will stay out a bit longer than one load!!!!!!

let me know if anyone's interested, they run all 48